The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Violence taints election in Iraq's Kurdistan region Several cities in Iraq's Kurdistan region witnessed violence following recent parliamentary elections on May 12, leading to calls from Kurdish opposition parties for the results to be canceled. Iraq
Iraqi election results shock political class The preliminary results of the Iraqi elections are out, indicating a victory for the Sadrist movement and the PMU coalition. Iraq
US opens Jerusalem embassy amid Gaza bloodshed The Donald Trump administration and US lawmakers celebrated the grand opening of the new US Embassy today as Israeli soldiers killed dozens of protesting Palestinians. Palestine
Erdogan enjoys royal welcome in UK Despite the United Kingdom's prominence in the anti-Western conspiracies regurgitated by Turkey's pro-government press, the Anglo-Turkish relationship is pretty tight as the Turkish president tours London. Turkey
Turkish election pledges belie serious economic problems Both the ruling party and the opposition have pledged various incentives and social welfare benefits ahead of next month's vote. Turkey
Swedish meatballs just one taste of Turkey's rich kofte culture The Ottoman roots of Sweden's beloved meatballs has caused an amusing social media flurry and reminded the world of the incredibly diverse culinary heritage of Anatolia. Turkey
How Iran and Europe can save the nuclear deal To protect the nuclear deal from collapse, Iran and the E3+2 must define and implement a workable framework for protecting future trade and investments. Iran
Rouhani administration fights back against nuclear deal critics Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will begin talks with Europe after visiting China and Russia in order to keep the nuclear deal alive after the US exit. Iran
Israeli group looks to bring peace back into agenda Amid Israeli hopelessness and indifference toward the conflict with the Palestinians, the Geneva Initiative convened a conference on restoring a dialogue on the two-state solution. Palestine
Palestinians struggle to preserve memories in younger generation As memories and stories fade with the survivors of the Nakba, so does the personal connection held by descendants of Palestinian refugees. Palestine
Israeli bill threatens courts’ ability to protect minority rights A new bill that would allow the Knesset to re-legislate laws struck down by Israel’s supreme court jeopardizes the independence of the judicial branch. Israel
Egyptian government floats new solution to traffic In a bid to reduce traffic congestion, the Egyptian government is working to exploit the Nile River in the transport of goods and individuals. Egypt
